A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes
by thedemxnqueen
Summary: Hayley Michaels is a young woman with a dream. A dream of becoming a WWE Woman's Wrestler to continue her father's unfinished legacy. But, before her career even begins, she suffers a horrible heartbreak. She never thought she would ever recover, but, soon she meets Finn Balor. Will the Demon King restore her faith? Or will she never be able to feel love again?
1. A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

Hayley took a deep breath as she slowly walked through the doors of the WWE Performance Center for her very first day of training. This was it. This is the day the young woman had dreamed of ever since she was a little girl. The day that she would finally set foot in a ring. And she was going to make a name for herself the way that her father did back on that day in October of 1984. She knew she had big shoes to fill given her name, but, she knew in her heart that this was her calling. Like many other second and third generation Superstars, it was her mission to carry out a legacy, and she was ready for the whole world to know her name...

Her name is Hayley Isabella Hickenbottom. Yup. Hickenbottom. As in...the Heartbreak Kid. Mr. WrestleMania. Or, to billions of fans young and old, Shawn Michaels. No one really knew about his oldest daughter, the only daughter he had with his ex-wife, Theresa. Hayley was born on July 22nd, 1988, the day of her father's 23rd birthday. Shawn was unable to be with Theresa on the day that Hayley was born, due to him being on the road at the time, but, Shawn treasured her more than anything in the world, even with the problems he had going on at the time. Hayley had always admired Shawn, and she will always be reminded of the stories her mother used to tell everyone who would listen. Whether it was on television or in person, she was always mesmerized when she watched her daddy wrestle. Her eyes would always be glued to the television, laughing whenever he won, and crying whenever he lost or got hurt. When she hit the tender age of six, that's when she decided she wanted to be just like her daddy, and Shawn promised that as soon as she was old enough, he would train her. He made good on his promise, and the young woman began to accompany her father on the road when she turned thirteen years old, that way she could not only train, but also get a feel of the business. She thought she was finally on the right track, but on that day in July 2009, her life changed...and not for the better.

That night, she had met the man who she thought she would be spending the rest of her life with, a man who she thought she was head over heels in love with. That man was named Nicholas Theodore Nemeth, or, to the fans, Dolph Ziggler. Oh, yes. The Show Off. Mr. Perfection. The minute she laid her eyes on him, she was hooked. It had taken her a bit to work up the courage to go over and talk to him, but when she finally did, it was like something had sparked. The way he looked at her made her heart flutter, and all she could do was blush and giggle. It didn't take long for him to sweep her off her feet and charm his way into her heart, but her dad didn't see the man she saw. From the beginning, Shawn made it no secret that he disapproved his daughter's new squeeze. He didn't see the charming twenty eight year old man with the blond curls and blue eyes she did. He saw someone who was using his daughter because of not only her name, but her beauty. He sensed that Nick didn't truly love her, and the disagreeing had put a massive strain on the once strong bond they shared. Hayley and Shawn argued constantly, and it got to the point where Hayley had given up her training. She decided to run off with her man, thinking she was Cinderella with her Prince Charming. She had spent six years of her life, internally planning her Happily Ever After...but that soon came to a head back in May, shortly before she was originally set to sign a contract with NXT.

Hayley had returned to the hotel room she was sharing with Dolph after spending a night out with Natalya, and she was prepared to crawl into bed next to him, but she heard strange noises coming from where their bed was. She slowly crept around the corner, and the sight in front of her was still very much imprinted in her mind. There was Dolph, completely naked...on top of two women. Yup. Two. And those women were Lana and Summer Rae. All she could do for a few moments was stare in horror, her heart shattering as she listened to their intermingling moans. But, once the shock and horror had passed, she started seeing red...something Shawn had warned Nick about since the beginning. And, when Hayley blacks out, she never remembers what happened. Witnesses to the event had told her that she had chased Dolph out of the room, screaming over and over again that he was a pig. Once she caught up with him, she had knocked him to the ground and began to beat him in a blind, vicious rage.

Though Dolph had declined to press charges, Hayley still didn't get to sign her contract. Instead, she chose to take some time off and make up for lost time with her father, as well as taking the time to get over her heartbreak. Shawn decided to train Hayley some more during her time off, and when she felt like she was ready, Hayley finally signed her life over to her second father, Triple H. This was the beginning of a new chapter in the young woman's life, and she would show the man who broke her heart that he won't win. He won't get the best of her. She will live her life, work her ass off, and make sure that the Michaels name lives on in the foundation of WWE.


	2. My Happy Ending

Hayley hummed to herself quietly as she made her way towards the women's locker room. She had spent the whole day training with some of the talent in NXT, and, she could feel her confidence slowly coming back. She already made friends with Bayley and Carmella, and the trainers and talent praised her for all of the hard work she had put into her training. Sara Del Rey told her that she could see a _lot_ of Shawn in her moveset, and that she could tell that the young woman was passionate about the business. Hayley was happy. That is, until a certain someone decided to rear their ugly head...

 _"Hayley! Hey, Hayley! Wait up, babe!"_

Hayley stopped. She knew that voice. She'd recognize that voice from a mile away. She turns around, her blood running cold as she saw Dolph running towards her. What the fuck did he want now?

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?!" she snaps, "I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from me!"

Dolph sighed. He stops dead in front of Hayley, his normally sparkling blue eyes dull as he stared at the woman he once called his own.

 _"Look..."_ he says, "I know you don't want nothing to do with me. And, I completely understand that. But...I came here to apologize. I want to fix things between us, Hayley. Lana and Summer mean _nothing_ to me. But you? You mean _everything_ to me. Please, Hayley Bug...give me another chance. I love you..."

Hayley's eyes were cold as she looked up at her ex. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was lying to her, the same way he did the day that she caught him in bed with Lana and Summer. She lets out a low laugh, shaking her head at Dolph.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" she sneers, "do I _look_ stupid to you?"

Dolph frowns.

 _"What?!"_ he exclaims, "no! No, I don't think you're stupid at all! Why would you even ask me that? You know me better than that!"

 _"Oh..."_ says Hayley, "I don't know. Maybe it's because you think that I'm going to believe your bullshit. You don't love me. You _never_ fucking loved me. The only reason why I put up with your shit for as long as I did was because I thought that I loved you, too. I was blinded by your fucking Prince Charming façade, only to learn that you're nothing but a snake in the grass. You don't cheat on someone you love, Dolph. You _**betrayed**_ me. You played me like a goddamned fiddle. There are _no more_ chances. There is _no fixing_ what you have done. We are _**through**_. And there is absolutely _nothing_ that you say or do that is going to change that. We are _**over**_. And you need to get that through your _**fucking**_ skull!"

Before Dolph could say anything else, Hayley turned on her heels and stormed off towards the locker room. She could feel tears forming in her eyes as she walked, her whole body shaking. Before she could even reach the locker room, she collapses against a wall, tears streaming down her cheeks from anger.

 _"You fucking son of a bitch..."_ she whispers, _"why can't you take a fucking hint?"_


	3. Complicated

It had been a long day for all the talent at WWE NXT. Finn Bálor had just finished up his own training, and he was looking forward to getting out of his sweaty clothes and taking a nice, hot shower to clean himself up. He rounds the corner to the locker room area, his brows furrowing when he heard the faint sounds of a woman crying. He makes his way down the hallway, the crying becoming louder the further he walked. Soon, he approaches the area where the women's locker room was located, where he found the source of the crying. It was Hayley. She was curled up against the wall, her face buried in her arms as she sobbed. Finn sighs, slowly walking over towards the young woman. He slowly kneels down in front of her, reaching a hand out to give her arm a light rub.

 _"'Hey..."_ he says softly, " are you okay?"

 _"Huh?"_

Hayley slowly raised her head at the sound of the voice. She smiles when she sees Finn kneeling in front of her. She sighs, sniffling back the snot that was threatening to come out of her nose.

"Not really..." she croaks, "it's kind of a long story..."

Finn laughs.

"Does it involve that fuckboy ex of yours?" he asks, "I saw him sniffing around when you were training with Brianna. I'm surprised he didn't corner you then."

Hayley chuckles.

"He's _afraid_ of Brianna..." she says, "he doesn't want anything to do with her after what her and Emily did to him..."

Finn chuckles.

"You mean the time the two of them punched him in the face for insulting their fathers?" he says, "I remember that. But, he should have known better than to mess with those two. They are really tough girls."

Hayley nods.

"That's exactly what I was referring to," she says, "I mean...they _are_ the daughters of Kane and Undertaker. You'd expect those two to be pretty tough."

Finn shrugs.

"You got a point..." he says, "say...how about you and I go and grab some ice cream? I don't know about you, but, training tends to make me build up a bit of an appetite."

Hayley's brows shot up.

 _"Finn..."_ she says, "are you asking me out on a date?"

Finn laughs.

"Only if you want it to be a date," he says, "I just figured that you were hungry, is all. And maybe going out will help get your mind off of what happened."

Hayley couldn't help but smile. She wipes the tears from her eyes and cheeks, nodding her head as she did so.

"I am pretty hungry..." she says, "there is a Dairy Queen not that far from here. And, I have been craving an Oreo Blizzard like crazy lately..."

"That sounds good to me," grins Finn, "I gotta go shower first, though. I don't wanna go out with a beautiful Lass like yourself smelling like a dirty gym sock."

Hayley laughs.

"Sounds good to me," she says, slowly standing to her feet, "I gotta shower, too. I work up a major sweat when I train. So, I might be a bit."

Finn snorts.

"Take your time!" he says, "I got all the time in the world! I'll just meet you outside by the front doors. Sound good to you, Lass?"

Hayley smiles.

"Sounds good to me, Finn," she says, "I'll see you in a bit."


	4. Halo

Hayley sighed as she walked into the locker room to shower. As she walked in, she was happily greeted by Carmella and Bayley. Both women couldn't help but raise their brows as they looked at their friend's smudged eyeliner and mascara, and Carmella was the first one to pipe up about it.

 _"Oh, my God..."_ she says, "Hayley...what the hell happened to your face?!"

 _"Huh?"_

Hayley frowns in confusion, wondering what the hell Carmella was talking about. She reaches her hand up, gently touching her face to feel if there was a bruise. She had taken a pretty hard bump from Emily's elbow when they were training, so, it wouldn't be a surprise if she got a bruise. She pulls her hand back, laughing when she notices black smudges on her fingertips. Her eyeliner and mascara must have run when she was crying out in the hallway.

"It's a long story, Mella..." she says, "let's just say that a noodle-haired fuckboy was involved and leave it at that."

"Dolph, again?!" says Bayley, "Jesus, when is he gonna get the hint?"

Hayley shrugs.

"Honestly, Bayley?" she says, "I have no fucking clue. But, there's no sense in dwelling on it. Right now, I gotta take all of this crap off my face and take a shower. I feel fucking disgusting right now..."

"Well, you were working your ass off earlier," laughs Carmella, "I saw you and Brianna training together. It was like watching Shawn and Undertaker all over again."

"I saw that, too!" says Bayley, "you two have a _lot_ of chemistry together. I'd love to see the two of you in a feud together."

Hayley laughs.

"I may have to talk to Trips about that one," she says, "I know he's been doing a lot of brainstorming on what he wants to do with me once I make my actual NXT debut. I'm curious as to what he's going to decide on..."

Carmella shrugs.

"It's hard to say," she says, "I know that he believes in all of us and he knows what the hell he's doing. Something that the fans have absolutely no fucking clue about."

"Exactly!" chimes in Bayley, "I'm so sick of seeing people saying that he buries talent. He's helped put so many people over. Daniel Bryan being one of the biggest and best examples."

"People like to believe they know what goes on behind the scenes," says Hayley, "you don't truly know unless you're experiencing it yourself. Sometimes, we're in a lose-lose situation with fans no matter what we do..."

"Amen, girl!" says Carmella, "we work our asses off for their entertainment. Don't get me wrong, I love my fans and I know how passionate wrestling fans are. But, sometimes they take things _way_ too far."

"Or they don't know the difference between fiction and reality," says Bayley, "the characters aren't always a reflection of the person."

"Unless you're Dolph," laughs Hayley, "he's a fuckboy in the ring and he's a fuckboy outside of the ring. And he's also a fucking copycat. Stealing gimmicks from my dad, Mr. Perfect, and "Ravishing" Rick Rude. It's disgusting, if you ask me."

"It's one thing to take inspiration from a wrestler," says Bayley, "but, flat out stealing someone's gimmick? That's a huge no-no in my opinion."

"Ain't no one can do a Superkick like Shawn can," chimes in Carmella, "Dolph ain't shit on your dad, Hayley."

"You're damn fucking right he ain't," says Hayley, "but? I really gotta take a shower. I actually have plans I gotta attend to."

Bayley and Carmella raised their brows.

"Plans?" asked Bayley, "what kind of plans?"

Hayley grins.

"I have a date..." she says, "Finn saw me crying out in the hallway and he asked me out on an ice cream date. How could I say no to him?"

"Ooh!" trills Carmella, "Hayley and Finn out on a date!"

"What an odd pairing..." giggles Bayley, "people keep saying that he's a better fit for Brianna because of her on-screen character. But, I think you two will make an absolutely adorable couple."

 _"Bayley!"_ laughs Hayley, "I barely know the guy! I'm not gonna rush into anything. I wanna be friends with him before I even _consider_ him as boyfriend material. The last time I rushed into something? I had my heart broken. I ain't allowing that shit to happen again."

"Good thinking, chick!" says Carmella, "you're smarter than what you give yourself credit for."

Hayley laughs.

"I'd like to think that I'm smart..." she says, "now, if you'll excuse me? I gotta clean myself off for my date."

Pamela and Carmella laughed. The trio of women made their way towards the shower stalls, laughing and gossiping about their day. Hayley couldn't remember the last time she ever felt this happy. Sure, she was nervous about her date with Finn. Who isn't nervous about going out on a date with someone they barely knew? Sure, going out and grabbing a late lunch was nothing spectacular, but, this was the first time she's been out on a date since she broke up with Dolph.

Slowly, Hayley walks into the stall in between the ones that Carmella and Bayley were in. The three women continued to laugh and talk as they cleaned up after their long day of training. Hayley knew that Finn was waiting for her patiently outside of the Performance Center. She just hoped that Dolph wasn't hanging around waiting to corner her again. The last thing she needed was Finn to jeopardize his career because of her psycho ex-boyfriend.

After Hayley was done her shower, she puts on her robe and wraps her hair up in a towel before making her way over to the mirrors. She continues to gossip with her two friends as she dries her hair and puts on a fresh face of makeup. After she was done, she goes to grab a fresh change of clothes and she slips into a bathroom stall to get dressed. As she heads out, she says goodbye to her friends and heads towards the front door, where Finn would patiently be waiting for her arrival.


	5. An Unusual Prince

Finn paced back and forth in front of the Performance Center as he waited for Hayley to shower. He may have looked calm on the outside, but...he was dreadfully nervous inside. He knew that he was taking a _huge_ risk by asking Hayley out on a date. He knew that she was in an emotionally vulnerable state due to the fact that Dolph was still harassing her even though they had been broken up for months, and he didn't want her to think that he was taking advantage of her. He had nothing but good intentions in his heart, even though he and Hayley barely knew each other.

Their first and only encounter was when Sara Del Rey had introduced Hayley to him before she had begun her training earlier on in the day. He had watched her training with Brianna from afar, and he had to admit...he was in awe of the young woman. Finn was a _huge_ fan of Shawn Michaels, and he could see a _lot_ of Shawn in Hayley when she wrestled. He had to admit...he was impressed. _Extremely_ impressed, at that. He had yet to see her cut a promo, and he couldn't wait to see if Hayley had her daddy's gift of gab.

Finn continued to pace as he waited for Hayley to come out of the Performance Center. A few seconds later, the door opens. A small smile forms on Finn's lips as his eyes settle upon the blonde woman approaching him. She looked absolutely beautiful...

"About time you showed up..." he teases, "you feeling any better at all?"

Hayley laughs.

"I told you that I'd be a bit..." she says, "and I actually feel a _lot_ better. At least I don't smell like a dirty gym bag anymore."

"You smelled better than I did," laughs Finn, "besides...you were working ya ass off earlier. I was watching you train with Brianna earlier. You two have some _insane_ chemistry in that ring, I'll tell ya that."

"It helps that she and I are childhood friends," says Hayley, "I find that wrestlers who are friends or family tend to have some insane chemistry when they're in the ring together. You should see her with Emily. It's like watching Kane and Undertaker all over again."

"That's very true," says Finn, "you tend to pick up on how someone works when you've studied them enough times. And that's made some incredible matches in the past."

"Yeah, it really has..." says Hayley, "I actually overheard Triple H saying that he just recently signed Bridget Hart. That's gonna be fucking interesting."

Finn raised a brow.

"Bridget Hart?" he says, "you talkin' about Bret Hart's daughter?"

Hayley nods.

"The very same..." she says, "she and I have quite the history. We've gotten into more fights with each other than I can count on both hands and both feet. That's how much we despised each other after the Screwjob."

Finn whistles.

 _"Jeez..."_ he says, "and I thought the bad blood you had with Brianna and Emily was crazy..."

Hayley shrugs.

"What happened between the three of us was all verbal..." she says, "the only time punches were thrown was when the two of them punched Dolph. Plus, it's all been resolved. Bridget and I have gotten into full-blown brawls to the point it's taken multiple people to tear us apart. She still despises me to this day."

Finn snorts.

"The Screwjob happened back in 1997..." he says, "and, I thought that Shawn and Bret buried the hatchet..."

"They did," says Hayley, "I'm not even mad at her anymore even though she's said some awful things to me. She just refuses to let it go."

"Holding grudges isn't good for anyone," says Finn, "maybe the two of you can talk things out when she arrives. See if Triple H will stage an intervention of some sorts."

"There's no harm in trying..." says Hayley, "I mean, I doubt she's gonna say yes to the idea, but, I think it would do both of us some good to bury the hatchet once and for all."

"I think it'll do the both of you some good," says Finn, "you're going through enough shit right now. I don't think you need Bridget making your life more miserable than it already is."

Hayley nods.

"I know..." she says, "but? My main focus right now is my career. I'm not gonna do anything to jeopardize all of my hard work. I've fought tooth and nail to get to where I am today. Never in a million years will I use my name to get whatever I want. I believe in working for what you want."

"You're as smart as you are beautiful," grins Finn, "I wish that other people used that mantra."

Hayley blushes. Soon, she and Finn reach the Dairy Queen that was a few blocks down from the Performance Center. She smiles as Finn opens the door for her, and they make their way over to the cashier to order their ice cream. Hayley ordered herself a large Oreo Blizzard, while Finn ordered a large Reese's Pieces Blizzard. Hayley reaches into her wallet, wanting to pay for her share of the ice cream. Finn chuckles, gently grasping her wrist before she could take her wallet out of her purse.

"Oh, no, you're not..." he says, "you're my guest. I will pay for the ice cream."

Hayley frowns.

 _"Finn..."_ she whines, "I'm not expecting you to pay for me..."

"Well, too bad," says Finn, pulling twenty dollars out of his wallet and handing it to the cashier, "you're my guest. I'm gonna pay. You can pay for the next little date we go on. Deal?"

Hayley rolls her eyes.

 _"Fine..."_ she says, "if you insist..."

"Good," smirks Finn, playfully ruffling Hayley's hair, "we have a deal."

Hayley blushed. A few seconds later, the cashier hands the pair their Blizzards. They say thank you, and they walk over to one of the corner booths. Finn allows Hayley to slide in first before slowly sitting down next to her. They soon begin to dig into their ice cream, with Finn letting out a soft moan as he placed the red spoon into his mouth.

"I don't know about you..." says Finn, "but, I definitely need this Blizzard after the day I've had. Today dragged on longer than usual..."

Hayley shrugs.

"I didn't really notice..." she says, "I guess I'm used to long days of work. When I wasn't training, I was helping dad out around the ranch. I guess that's why I have insanely good body strength."

"You're a Jill of All Trades," laughs Finn, "what kind of work did you do?"

"Everything, really..." says Hayley, "I hauled giant bails of hay. I helped feed all the animals. I've done a lot of heavy lifting, so, that was my daily workouts."

"A country girl through and through," says Finn, "I can't help but notice that you have a fairly strong Texan accent. Is it weird that I find it cute?"

Hayley giggles.

"It's not weird at all, Finn," she says, "you're definitely not the first one today who's said that they think my accent is cute."

"Well, it is cute," laughs Finn, "and I think it's awesome how close you are with your dad. Even though he's had his fair share of problems over the years."

Hayley snorts.

"I'm surprised my dad wants anything to do with me..." she says, "he and I hit a rough patch when I was with Dolph. They _despised_ each other and it caused a _lot_ of tension because I always sided with Dolph. Now, I wish I had sided with my dad. Because he was right all along about Dolph..."

"He's your dad, Hayley," says Finn, "and you're his little girl. He's always gonna love you no matter what the two of you go through. Sure, what happened between you and Dolph was an absolutely horrible situation that ended in violence and heartbreak. But, there's a bright side to it."

Hayley raised her brows.

"Bright side?" she asks, sounding very confused, "what bright side?"

"Well, think about it..." says Finn, "it's a learning experience. You were still fairly young when you and Dolph met, and we've all made some fairly big mistakes when we were younger. You thought that you were in love with him. That ended up clouding your judgement and you ended up rushing into things too fast. Now you know what _not_ to do in the future. And you also know what red flags to look out for. Dolph taught you a _very_ valuable lesson."

Hayley couldn't help but laugh. She knew that Finn was right. She knew there was no way to dispute his points. She never thought of what happened that way before.

"You're right..." she says, "you are absolutely right. Sure, what happened to me was absolutely horrible and I almost jeopardized my career over it, but...it was a _very_ good lesson. From now on? I'm gonna take things slow with any potential boyfriend. Go out on a few dates, get to know the person, and build up a friendship before taking it to the next level. Something I should have done in the first place."

"And that shows how much you've matured," says Finn, "everyone makes mistakes. It's human nature. But, it's how you _learn_ from those mistakes that matters."

"That is so very true," says Hayley, "I definitely learned from that massive, massive mistake. He can try and bring me down all he wants, but, I'm not gonna let him affect me anymore. My career is far more important than him and his bullshit games."

Finn smiles.

"Atta girl, Hayls," he says, "you don't mind if I call you Hayls, do you?"

Hayley smiles.

"Not at all, Finn," she smiles, "I don't mind at all."

Finn chuckles. The two continued to talk as they ate their ice cream. Hayley couldn't remember the last time that she had actually enjoyed herself on a date. Dolph hardly ever took her out on dates. He always came up with some bullshit excuse and she fell for it every single time. Soon, the pair finishes their ice cream. Hayley slowly leans back against the back of the booth, letting out a sigh as she places a hand on her stomach.

"I am gonna have to work out extra hard tomorrow..." she says, "I don't even remember the last time I had a cheat meal..."

"It's been a while for me," says Finn, "maybe you and I can train together tomorrow. I'm supposed to be going to the Performance Center with Enzo in the morning."

"I would love that," says Hayley, "as long as you don't mind that I'm bringing a tag along. I promised Brittany that she could train with me tomorrow."

"I'm cool with it," grins Finn, "the more, the merrier if you ask me."

"I just figured I'd ask," smiles Hayley, "unlike some people? I have manners and I take other people's feelings into consideration. Despite what my fuckboy ex says or thinks."

"And I appreciate that, Hayley," smiles Finn, "you know...you're a really sweet girl. I had a lot of fun talking to you."

Hayley beams.

"I had a lot of fun, too, Finn..." she says, "it feels nice to be able to talk to someone else besides Brianna or Emily. This was refreshing."

Finn smiles.

"Well, I'm glad you think that," he says, "I'll let Enzo in on our plans for tomorrow. That way he can expect more people. Shall we meet at the Performance Center say around...seven o'clock? Does that sound good to you?"

Hayley smiles.

"That sounds great to me, Finn," she says, "I'll see you tomorrow."


	6. Silver & Cold

Hayley sighed as she pulled her car into Brittany's driveway. She was feeling more sluggish than usual that day, mainly due to the fact that she didn't sleep that well the night before. She was kept up due to the anxiety of her seeing Finn again, as well as the possibility of running into Dolph again.

Hayley knew that he was stalking her with the help of one of his backstage buddies, but, she couldn't figure out who. People always seem to think that the ex-girlfriend becomes obsessed after a breakup, but...not in this case. Dolph knew he didn't have control over her, so, he was going to do everything in his power to break her because he knew that another blow up could seriously threaten her career. Hayley knew she had to stay strong no matter what shit Dolph tried to throw her way. Her career was far more important than he ever will be.

Hayley sighed as she reached to grab her phone from out of her purse. She couldn't help but smile when she saw a text from Finn flash on her screen. The pair had exchanged numbers before they had parted ways after their ice cream date so they could let each other know whereabouts they were. Unlocking her phone, Hayley shoots him a text letting him know that she was waiting on Brittany. After she hit send, she goes back to text Brittany to let her know that she was there. It was nearing seven, and Brittany was notorious for being late sometimes. Once the text was sent, Hayley settled back in her seat as she waited for her friend to emerge from her house.

Hayley hummed to the music playing on her radio as she sat and waited for Brittany. All the while, her mind wandering to Finn. During her restless night, she wondered why he decided to approach her like that. Everyone else who saw her crying in that hallway walked right by her. Maybe they saw what happened and didn't want to interfere because it wasn't their business. Maybe they saw what happened and didn't interfere because they didn't care. Who knows? All Hayley knew was that, for whatever reason, Finn cared enough to stop and check to see that she was okay. She didn't know what to make of the Irishman yet.

He could do what Dolph did and charm his way into her heart then show his true colours. But...he could also be different. He could be the good guy he was making himself out to be. As all these thoughts swirled in the young blonde's mind, she could feel herself starting to drift off. Just as she was about to fall into a deep slumber, a knock at her driver's side window caused her to jump. Hayley whipped her head around in confusion, wondering who the hell would be knocking at her window. She soon hears a laugh, which was followed by a voice.

 _"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty! We got a workout date to go to!"_

Hayley laughed. She'd recognize that voice from a mile away. It was Brittany. She straightens herself up in her seat before reaching over to unlock her passenger's side door. Brittany laughs as she climbs inside of the car, looking over at her sleep deprived bestie as she buckled up her seatbelt.

"You look like shit, Hayls..." she says, "did you sleep at all last night?"

Hayley snorts.

"Barely..." she retorts, "I don't even know what time I actually fell asleep at..."

"Nightmares again?" asks Brittany, "or, is this something completely unrelated to You Know Who?"

Hayley rolls her eyes.

"He's not Voldemort, Brittany..." she says, "you can say his name around me. And, no...it wasn't nightmares. It was my anxiety that kept me up most of the night..."

"He may as well be Voldemort," snorts Brittany, "and, it's good you're not having any nightmares. Do you want me to drive? You shouldn't drive when you've barely had any sleep..."

Hayley sighs.

"That actually sounds like a good idea..." she says, "the last thing I want is to cause an accident because I fell asleep at the wheel. I haven't even had any coffee..."

"Look at you being smart for once in your life," laughs Brittany, "come on. Let's switch."

 _"Bitch..."_

Hayley let out a sleepy laugh as she climbed out of her car. She walks over to the passenger's side, slowly climbing into the seat and closing the door. She yawns as she buckles her seatbelt, groaning as she settles back in the seat. She didn't even bother to look at her phone when she felt it vibrating in her lap, even though she knew it was probably Finn asking where she was. She was way too exhausted and nervous to bother texting him back.

Brittany couldn't help but laugh as she looked over at Hayley. The two had been best friends for the vast majority of their lives. Mainly because Brittany is the oldest daughter of the man that Hayley dubbed her second father. That man being...Triple H. Of course, Stephanie McMahon isn't Brittany's biological mother. She was the product of Triple H and an ex-girlfriend, and Stephanie had adopted Brittany when she married him. The two had lost contact for a bit when Brittany was married to CM Punk, but...that's something for another time. Brittany shakes her head as she starts up the car, making sure that no cars or pedestrians were coming as she backed out of her driveway.

"What's got you all anxious?" she asks as she drove towards the gym, "it's not that Bálor guy, is it?"

Hayley laughs.

"Kinda..." she mumbles, "I just don't know why he's being so nice to me. He and I met just yesterday when I first started my training..."

"Maybe he likes you," says Brittany, "I mean, what guy wouldn't? You're hot. You got a rocking figure. I'd go lesbian for you if I didn't like penis as much as I do."

 _"Brittany!"_ laughs Hayley, "there is no possible way he likes me in that way. He barely knows me! I'm probably not even his type!"

"Hayley, don't start that shit with me," says Brittany, "I get that what happened between you and Dolph left some major scars. What he did was Fifty Shades of Fucked Up. But, you can't give up hope just because of one guy. Besides...he has a reputation for being a fuckboy who doesn't give a shit about a woman's feelings. What happened with you helped a lot of his exes come forward with similar stories. Minus the chasing him out of his hotel room naked and beating the shit out of him..."

Hayley sighed. She knew this was just Brittany giving her the typical Bestie Talk. She did the exact same thing when Brittany had called her crying when she found out that Punk had been cheating on her with AJ Lee behind her back.

"I'm not giving up hope, Brittany..." she says, "I just ain't ready for any sort of relationship right now. And, even if I was? I ain't about to rush into it. That was my mistake with Dolph. I rushed into it, and it ended with me getting my heart broken. I ain't about to make the same mistake again. I ain't a stupid girl."

"I never said you were," says Brittany, "I just think that maybe he's doing all of this because he _actually_ likes you. I mean, you were telling me on the phone that he was looking at you in a way that Dolph never did..."

Hayley snorts.

"You know that could just be me going crazy, right?" she says, "he could be doing what Dolph did. He could be charming his way into my heart. And when I let my guard down? That's when the trouble will start. You don't know his true intentions, Brittany..."

Brittany sighs.

"Okay, maybe I don't..." she says, "I just think that you shouldn't categorize every single guy because of what one asshole did to you. I know you, Hayley. You're a strong, wonderful woman. I'm not just saying that because I'm your best friend. I mean that. And you know damn fucking well that I mean that."

Hayley rolled her eyes. She knew that Brittany was right, but, she didn't want to fully admit it. Soon, Michelle pulls into the Performance Center parking lot. There weren't a lot of cars there, which meant that they could get a small bit of privacy. Brittany grins as she parks the car, placing it in park and turning towards Hayley.

"So..." she says, "you ready to bust your ass off?"

Hayley chuckles.

"I guess so..." she says, "let's go find the boys and see what they're up to."


End file.
